Grassroots social cons ready for Vice President Huckabee

posted at 5:40 pm on March 6, 2008 by Allahpundit

Never mind the VP Huck idea, actually. How does McCain as nominee in 2008 followed by Huckabee as nominee in 2012 sound, hm? What shape do you think the party will be in circa January 2013?

Advisers to Mike Huckabee spent yesterday starting to build a conservative coalition that could propel a future run for the White House, hoping to capitalize on the popularity he gained during his unlikely presidential bid…

And though Huckabee has said that he doubts McCain would offer him the vice presidential slot on the Republican ticket, he has not denied interest in the job. The head of his campaign’s faith-and-values coalition, conservative radio talk show host Janet Folger, said she is broadcasting the phone number of McCain’s campaign office so callers can demand that Huckabee be placed on the ticket. Folger said McCain “needs” to pick Huckabee to ensure that conservative Christians will turn out in November.

I keep hearing rumblings about Crist but for reasons I’m not willing to get into I consider it … unlikely. Exit question: Does McCain really need an evangelical to win the evangelical vote? Most opinion in this piece suggests that a little perfunctory outreach to Christian conservatives — hugs with John Hagee, bon mots with Huck, back-slapping with Pat Robertson, perhaps — will seal the deal.

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I don’t see it happening (then again I said Obama would win Texas..big).

The Texas Huckabee vote, I believe, was as much a protest vote against McCain, as it was a vote for Huckabee. Again it is, IMO, SCOTUS that is the number one issue for the evangelicals. Obama/Hillary SCOTUS appointments or McCain SCOTUS appointments? That is going to bring a lot of the evangelicals back in November.

The evangelicals (with whom I am very sympatico) just need to admit that they blew it and got in bed with the first anti-Giuliani who came along without vetting him first.
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Believe in a higher power: Check.
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Admit you made a mistake and move on: We’re waiting…
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I’m keeping my teh Fred! bumper stickers on my truck. They make me look like the prescient genius I am.

Never mind the VP Huck idea, actually. How does McCain as nominee in 2008 followed by Huckabee as nominee in 2012 sound, hm? What shape do you think the party will be in circa January 2013?

Survey says…toast. Of course, everybody that said toast when I asked a similar question (actually, who will the nominee be in 2012) is a Cheesehead or a Cheese expatriate, and nobody has taken Huck so far.

Don’t know if this is what you meant, but Huck’s terrible on educational-choice rights; endorsed by the NEA = centralizer.

Politically-engaged evangelicals avoided Huck like the plague – it’s always people who’ve never given a hoot about politics who jump on the Huckwagon. If McCain really wants to hand this one to Mr. Obama, or Mrs. Clinton, then by all means, bring on Huck.

There’s no way to dress up this ticket; to steal a little something, you can’t polish McCain.

NRO had an interesting article on how the Huckster was able to tap into a pretty powerful grassroots organization. For no money. That’s a powerful weapon to have in your arsenal when turnout is the key to victory.
Of course the GOP is going to piss it all away. Because its akward explaing the christians to your liberal golf buddies.
McCain (and the GOP) need to do serious outreach. They also should take advantage of the nomination being locked up, and start focusing on Congress. McCain could be a big boost to a lot of GOP candidates in tight races. The dems think they’ve got congress all locked up. It’d be very nice to prove them wrong

I actually am growing to like Mike Huckabee, even as I remember his somewhat, well, Machiavellian political moves (in the sense they were purely political, not based on belief).

The Governor needs a while to season, and needs to come up with a more consistent political philosophy that has been thought out a little further in advance. He also needs to make me stop thinking his eyes will flash red when I’m not looking.

That can come from a more seasoned world view and less overt ambition. I’m not sure he’ll ever be President, but he can do a lot of good if he is willing to–and I think he wants to do that good. The party needs a voice for the small and downtrodden so that we don’t always rush into “K-Street” projects and the like.

I suggest Candidate McCain talk with conservatives and find a possible future leader of the Republican party/conservative movement. Not an heir apparent–merely someone who could compete in the future. We need to continually think about keeping the fish pond stocked…McCain should understand this–after all, the first obligation of a Naval Officer is, after protecting and defending the Constitution, finding and training a better man.

Yes. Juan McShame better put Mike Huckabee on the ticket or he will not get my vote ever!

I’m sure there are at least a hundred million Christian voters thinking along the same lines.

SaintOlaf on March 6, 2008 at 7:03 PM

Yes, let’s get the guy who says it’s unChristian and unAmerican to NOT welcome illegals with open arms. You know, the governor who complained about the ICE raids in his state. That’d be good – obviously he’d REALLY tone down the Juan McShame ticket on immigration.

I’m Christian. I’m also one of Huckabee’s “Shi’ite Republicans” – like the ones whose political careers he butchered in the AR GOP when he campaigned for Democrats and raised taxes by 40%.

But even if I weren’t a “Shi’ite” (conservative) Republican and even if I was willing to tolerate that pandering rat playing the Christian card to trump his multitude of political sins, I still can’t get past this problem – Huckabee is NOT a Christian leader.

He EITHER couldn’t get his own supporters to stop their despicable push polling and dirty campaign tactics (that absolutely dishonored God, as part of a “Christian” political campaign) OR he tacitly approved of them and was too much of a weasel to admit it. Neither of those is the act of a moral man, much less a Christian leader. And most Christians do understand that.

Exit question: Does McCain really need an evangelical to win the evangelical vote?

If he does, he doesn’t have a chance at winning a national election.

Of course most Americans want a Christian President; but for every American who DEMANDS a candidate who tries to shove his religion down everyone else’s throat, there are at least five others who would absolutely refuse to vote for him because of that.

Interestingly, McCain was standing next to Pastor Rod Parsley when he first denounced the derogatory use of Obama’s middle name, & he was next to Pastor John Hagee when he said it the second time.
McCain is apparently reaching out to us evangelicals.

Eh, Elmer Gantry’s just trying to keep his VP hopes alive because he doesn’t want to have to get a real job. But when that doesn’t work out, I’m sure he can get a spot as a sleazy televangelist, shamelessly exploiting religion full-time in order to fleece the gullible. Talk about playing to his strengths.

I know I sound like a broken record on this, but I guess it needs to be said again. Because of his anti-Mormon smears, if Huckabee hustles his way onto the ticket the Republicans will lose the intermountain West. The Dems are having their convention in Denver because they see an opening in this region, and it’s because of exclusionary religious rightists like Huck.

McCain better pick somebody considerably to his RIGHT if he wants people to get out there and work for him this year.
If not, he will get a certain number of Conservatives to vote for him but almost zero enthusiasm.
EJDolbow on March 6, 2008 at 10:37 PM

The office that’s famously referred to as “a bucket of warm spit” is not known for generating tremendous amounts of enthusiasm.

McCain made his bed; now he has to rely on his moderate base to provide all the energy his campaign will need.

As a Neo-Libertarian, social conservatism to me is against all principles of “Life,Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness” It’s nothing more than STATE encroachment of peoples’ personal liberties. It ranks right up there with income redistribution in my eyes. When a political party comes about that works against socialism and religious intolerance(evangelicals), I might register as something other than Independent. Jesus would not have been a bible thumper…………